Prosecutors, in detailing the “heinous” homicide of a college student in Pottawatomie County, are seeking the death penalty against an Asher man whose case is being remanded back for a preliminary hearing.

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By Kim Morava

The Shawnee News-Star

By Kim Morava

Posted May. 2, 2013 at 9:00 AM

By Kim Morava
Posted May. 2, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Prosecutors, in detailing the “heinous” homicide of a college student in Pottawatomie County, are seeking the death penalty against an Asher man whose case is being remanded back for a preliminary hearing.

Jerrod Murray, 18, is charged with first-degree murder, deliberate intent, in the Dec. 6 death of Generro Sanchez, 18, a student from Stuart, Okla. who attended East Central University in Ada.

Murray, the victim’s classmate at ECU, last month waived his right to a preliminary hearing before the death penalty imposition was filed.

Murray appeared in Pottawatomie County District Court during Wednesday’s felony docket, where his attorney asked for a preliminary hearing, a court proceeding where evidence is presented and a judge determines if there’s enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial.

District Judge John Canavan sent Murray’s case back to the special district judges for a preliminary hearing that is now scheduled May 10.

District Attorney Richard Smothermon objected to the hearing, but said they were able to get a quick court date.

“Justice isn’t going to be delayed,” Smothermon said.

According to information outlined in the Bill of Particulars, prosecutors believe Murray should be punished by death.

According to the bill, Sanchez, on Dec. 6, agreed to drive Murray to Walmart, but once inside the vehicle, without justification or excuse, Murray pulled a .40 caliber firearm and told Sanchez to drive five miles north of Asher.

“While Generro Sanchez was driving and begging Jerrod Murray not to take his life, the defendant shot Generro Sanchez twice in the head,” the bill reads.

As a result of the shooting, the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a tree, at which time Murray went around to the driver's side of the vehicle and pulled Sanchez “onto the ground and shot Generro Sanchez a third time in the head,” the document shows.

Prosecutors allege Murray pushed the victim’s body down into a ditch, covered him with leaves and left him there to die.

Both the suspect and victim were freshmen and reportedly lived in the dorms on the ECU campus.

Smothermon, at the time charges were filed, said this case was “a random, senseless murder just to gratify the defendant.”

According to arrest affidavits that are part of this case, Murray, who was arrested the day of the homicide, allegedly admitted to investigators that he’d been planning to kill someone for about three weeks and targeted Sanchez, who he only knew by his first name.

The victim’s body was found in a ditch along Substation Road, which is located south of U.S. 177 and SH 59.

Page 2 of 2 - The affidavit shows Murray admitted that he made a plan to kill someone about three weeks before the homicide but didn’t know who he’d kill or when, but knew he would do it around Substation Road because he knew that area.

During an interview with investigators, Undersheriff Travis Palmer asked Murray what he thought a person should get for killing someone.

The arrest affidavit shows Murray said, “Death — an eye for an eye.”

Murray remains jailed without bond in the Pottawatomie County Public Safety Center.